Invalid transfer device

ABSTRACT

A patient transfer device comprises a belt connected at its ends to first and second take-up and let-out reels and in its extension from the first reel to the second reel passes over supporting and guiding means to define in turn an upper patient supporting portion and a lower ground engaging portion. Driving means are provided for selectively rotating each of said reels to provide two modes of operation, the course of the belt over the supporting and guiding means being such that in each of the two modes the belt is moving in the same direction relative to the ground over its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion. An auxiliary belt take up and let-out device is connected to the belt at a position between its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion, and can be selectively locked to enable the two modes of operation to be performed. Actuating means are provided for said auxiliary device and locking-means for locking said first reel so that third and fourth modes of operation are provided in which the belt movement is between the auxiliary device and the second reel so that the transfer device can track along with a patient on it.

United States Patent [191 Attenburrow Mar. 18, 1975 I INVALID TRANSFER DEVICE [75] Inventor: David .1. Attenburrow, Bridlington.

England [73] Assignee: Reed international Limited,

London, England [22] Filed: July 6, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 377,008

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data J l 0, 1972 United Kingdom '32 148/72 L521. si -9 w 1m, malaise [51] Int. Cl B66f 11/00,= A6lg 7/10 [58] Field of Search 5/81, 86, 89, 63; 297/385, 297/388; 214/8334, 508; 198/34, 38, 110, 202

Primary E.raminerCasmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or FifrhF. C. Philpitt [57] ABSTRACT A patient transfer device comprises a belt connected at its ends to first and second take-up and let-out reels and in its extension from the first reel to the second reel passes over supporting and guiding means to define in turn an upper patient supporting portion and a lower ground engaging portion. Driving means are provided for selectively rotating each of said reels to provide two modes of operation, the course of the belt over the supporting and guiding means being such that in each of the two modes the belt is moving in the same direction relative to the ground over its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion. An auxiliary belt take up and let-out device is connected to the belt at a position between its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion, and can be selectively locked to enable the two modes of operation to be performed. Actuating means are provided for said auxiliary device and locking-means for locking said first reel so that third and fourth modes of operation are provided in which the belt movement is between the auxiliary device and the second reel so that the transfer device can track along with a patient on it.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED MAR I 8|975 sumsur INVALID TRANSFER DEVICE This invention relates to a transfer device for transferring. a hospital patient between a bed, chair, operating table, x-ray table or the like and a trolley or the like.

To lift a patient manually into and out of a bed often requires up to four orderlies. Further, many orthopaedic patients cannot be handled without causing distressing movement of the bone structure or unacceptable skeletal stresses.

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanical orderly which enables transfer of a patient to and from a trolley or the like using less manpower than hitherto and with the minimum disturbance to the patient.

According to the invention a patient transfer device comprises a belt connected at its ends to first and second take-up and let-out reels and in its extension from the first reel to the second reel passing over supporting and guiding means to define in turn an upper patient supporting portion and a lower ground engaging portion, driving means for selectively rotating each of said reels so that in a first mode of operation of the transfer device with said first reel driven the belt is taken-up by the first reel and let out by the second reel, in a second mode of operation the belt is taken up by the second reel and let out by the first reel, the course of the belt over the supporting and guiding means being such that in each of the first and second modes the belt is moving in the same. direction relative to the ground over its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion, an auxiliary belt take up and let-out device connected to the belt at a position between its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion, means for selectively locking the auxiliary device to enable the first and second modes of operation to be performed, means for selectively actuating said auxiliary device and means for locking said first reel so that in a third mode of operation with said auxiliary device actuated the belt is taken up by the auxiliary device and let out by the second reel and in a fourth mode of operation in which said second reel is rotated by said driving means the belt is taken up by the second reel and let out by the auxiliary device.

By the term ground as used above is meant any surface on which the transfer device operates, for example the top ofa trolley, a bed mattress or the surface of an operating or x-ray table. Thus in the first mode of operation the transfer device will track forward by movement of its ground engaging portion to load a patient on to it and simultaneous movement of the upper patient supporting portion will ensure that there is substantially no relative longitudinal movement between it and the patient and hence minimum disturbance to the patient. The second mode of operation enables in a similar manner unloading of the patient by rearward tracking of the device. The third and fourth modes of operation enable forward and rearward tracking of the transfer device with no movement of the upper patient supporting portion of the belt so that the transfer device can move to and from the trolley or the like on to another surface with the patient supported on it.

At the end of the transfer device designed to lead under a patient (hereafter termed the forward end) the belt supporting and guiding means may be arranged so that the upper patient supporting portion forms a gentle, preferably convexly curved, ramp leading substantially below the ground engaging level of the transfer device at its forward extremity; the extent of the movement of the forward end below ground engaging level may be controlled for example by hinging the supporting and guiding means at the forward end.

The forward end having completed the lead under the patient when loading in the manner described above, may also be arranged that the upper patient supporting portion of the belt supporting and guiding means at the forward end lifts above the ground engaging level of the transfer device, thus providing a contour corresponding of a mattressed bed, such upward lift of the forward end being limited for example by the design of the aforesaid hinging.

The belt supporting and guiding means may comprise a combination of plates and rollers, the belt skidding over the surfaces of the plates.

One patient transfer device in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the transfer device shown mounted on a trolley.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the forward end of the device from above,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the forward end of the device from below,

FIGS. 4 to 6 are diagrammatic views showing the course of the belt and illustrating the different modes of operation of the transfer device, and

FIG. 7 illustrates diagrammatically the driving arrangement for the transfer device.

The transfer device has a belt 1 located between side frame structures 2 and at its rear end has a housing 3. The housing 3 encloses belt take-up and let-out reels 4 and 5 and auxiliary take-up and let-out reel 14 (FIGS. 4 to 6). It also encloses driving means including an 7 electric motor, and associated clutches and locking means for reels 4 and 5 and 14 as will be described. It encloses electric control means (not shown) which, controlled by switch unit 25, causes the transfer device to perform a selected mode of operation as will be described. The hand held switch unit 7 is an on-off control device for the driving motor so that whilst performing any mode of operation the transfer device can be started and stopped as desired.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6 the belt extends from the reels 4 and 5 and passes over guide rollers only some of which referenced 8, 9, 22 and 23 are shown. Other guide rollers are positioned to provide the appropriate support for the run of the belt so that it follows the course shown. Thus the belt defines an upper patient supporting portion 10 and a lower ground engaging portion 11. Behind the belt 1 over the portions 10 and 11 are positioned supporting plates shown diagrammatically at 31 and 32 in FIG. 4, a part of the plate 31 being shown in FIG. 2 and a part of the plate 32 being shown in FIG. 3. These plates are attached at their edges to the side frame structure 2 and provide substantially flat surfaces over which the belt skids or slides. The front end of the side frames 2 together with the associated parts of the support plates 31 and 32 form a nose portion 24 (see FIG. 2) which is hinged at 33 so that it can move up and down relative to the remainder of the transfer device.

The auxiliary take-up and release device 6 comprises a belt 12 connected at one end to an anchorage 13 and at its other end to a reel 14. Between the anchorage l3 and reel 14 the belt 12 passes over a floating roller 15 which is tied to the idler roller 8.

FIG. 7 shows diagrammatically the drive arrangement for the reels 4, and 14. The drive is from a single electric motor 40 which through a gear box 41 and respective electromagnetically actuated clutches 42, 43 and 44 connects with the reels 4, 5 and 14. Thus the drive for the reel 4 is through shaft 45 and clutch 42 to sprocket wheel 46 and thence through an endless driving chain 47 which passes around sprocket 48 at the end of reel 4 and around sprocket 49 with which is associated an electromgantically operated brake 50. The drive for reel 5 is through shaft 51, chain drive 52, shaft 53, clutch 43 and then chain drive 54 to the sprocket 56 of reel 5. The drive for reel 14 is similarly to the reel 4 is through shaft 51, clutch 44 to sprocket wheel 61. From sprocket wheel 61 an endless chain 57 extends around sprocket 58 of the reel 14 and a sprocket 59 with which is associated an electromagnetically operated brake 60. In their de-energised state the brakes are engaged and the clutches disengaged as a fail-safe precaution.

The electrical control system for selecting the mode of operation of the transfer device by selectively operating predetermined clutches and brakes can for example comprise relay circuits which are selectively operated in accordance with the required logic. The required circuit design will be readily apparent to persons reasonably skilled in relay circuitry from the following described modes of operation.

The further constructional features of the transfer device will become apparent from the operating modes now to be described as used to transfer a patient from a bed on to a trolley and then transfer him from the trolley on to an operating table.

The initial position of the belt is'as shown in FIG. 4 with the transfer device supported on trolley 16 as shown in FIG. 1. The trolley is moved so that it is end on to the head or foot of a divan type bed or diagonal to the bed. In the case of a bed with ends which can not be removed the trolley must be moved to a position diagonal to the bed. If necessary the trolley is adjusted in height so that the centre line of roller 22 is level with the bed mattress surface.

With the reel 14 locked, i.e., with brake 60 engaged, and brake 50 disengaged and with clutch 42 engaged and clutches 43 and 44 disengaged, the reel 4 is driven anti-clockwise to take up the belt 1 so that over its portions and 11 it moves in the direction of the arrows 17. Thus the forward end 18 of the transfer device tracks under the patient and since the belt portions 10 and 11 are moving at the same speed the patient will be loaded onto the transfer device without relative movement between the patient and the bed.

During this movement the nose portion of transfer 1 device is allowed to freely move up or down independently of the remainder of the transfer device by virtue of the hinge 33, thus ensuring that rollers 22 and 23 at the forward extremity will follow the contours in the surface of the mattress caused by the unevenly distributed weight of the patient on the mattress.

When the patient has been loaded onto the transfer device brake 50 is engaged and brake 60 is disengaged and clutch 43 is engaged and clutches 42 and 44 are disengaged. Thus the reel 14 is released and the reel 5 is driven anti-clockwise to cause the belt to be taken up by the reel 5. This causes the transfer device to track off the bed back onto the trolley in the direction of arrow 29 (FIG. 5) by movement of the ground engaging portion 11 of the belt in the direction of arrows 28 (FIG. 5). The patient supported by portion 10 of the belt remains stationary relative to the transfer device the necessary reserve of the belt being provided by the belt 12 being pulled from the reel 14 permitting the roller l5 and thus the roller 8 to move to the right. The limiting right-hand position of the rollers 15 and 8 is as shown in FIG. 6.

After moving the trolley 16 to the operating theatre it is aligned end on with the operating table. The brake 50 remains engaged and the brake disengaged and the clutch 42 disengaged. The clutch 44 is engaged and the clutch 43 disengaged. Thus the reel 14 is driven clockwise to cause the rollers 15 and 8 to move to the left from the position shown in FIG. 6. This will cause the transfer device to track forward in the direction of arrow 31 by movement of the belt 1 in the direction of arrows 19 (FIG. 5), the patient supported on portion 10 of the belt remaining stationary relative to the transfer device.

To remove the transfer device from beneath the patient and back on the trolley the brake 50 is disengaged and the brake 60 engaged. The clutch 42 is engaged and the clutch 43 and 44 disengaged. Thus the reel 5 is rotated anti-clockwise. This will cause the belt portions 10 and 11 to move in the direction of arrows 20 (FIG. 4).

It will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 that at'the forward end, i.e., over the nose portion the patient supporting portion of the belt defines a gentle conversely curved ramp 21 leading substantially down to ground level at its forward extremity. This is achieved by the positions of the guide roller 22 supporting the forward end of the patient supporting portion 10 of the belt 1 in front of and at the same horizontal level as the roller 23 supporting the ground engaging portion 11 of the belt 1 and the curving of the supporting plate 32 over the nose portion. By virtue of the tension in the belt and the positioning of the various rollers carrying the belt the forward end of the patient supporting portion of the belt, i.e., the leading end of the nose portion will be depressed into the bed mattress and thus will cause a separation of the bed mattress and the patients clothing to facilitate the passage of the transfer device underneath the patients clothing.

The side structures 2 over the nose portion are shaped to define ploughs 24 which prevent entanglement of the two sides of the transfer device at the forward extremity with the bed sheet on the mattress or the patients clothing in both directions of movement of the transfer device.

A stationary bar 30 situated between rollers 22 and 23 prevents entanglement of clothing when the transfer device is removed from under the patient.

Housing 3 for belt take up reels also incorporates an arrangement oflimit switches to override the hand control switch 7.

To ensure that the position of the belt is correct for any operation when the transfer device is used for transferring a patient from bed to chair or from chair to bed the track length of the belt during operations 4 to 6 is less than when transferring a patient from bed to operating table or x-ray table. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the belt position is correct, as described in FIG. 4 before commencing the operation of lifting a patient. This is achieved by a reset device (not shown) which is also incorporated in housing 3. This device draws up or releases the belt by movement of each reel simultaneously to achieve the position as indicated by FIG. 4.

To avoid movement of the patient lifting device during this reset operation a side lifting device is incorporated in trolley 16, this allowing free movement of the bottom portion of belt 1 1 during the operation of reset.

Accidental use of the reset device is avoided by virtue of limit switches which ensure that the patient transfer device is positioned correctly on the trolley and that the extreme end of the patient transfer device is above the level of the trolley.

The lifting device referred to is positioned at a point of balance to ensure that the reset device cannot be energised if the patient is lying on the upper portion of belt 1.

I claim:

1. A patient transfer device comprising in combination a. an elongated belt which is wide enough to support a patient,

b. a first take-up and let-out reel connected to one end of said belt,

c. a second take-up and let-out reel connected to the other end of said belt,

d. a plurality of supporting and guiding means,

e. said belt being disposed around said plurality of supporting and guiding means in a back and forth manner so as to provide an upper patient supporting portion and a lower ground engaging portion,

f. driving means associated with said first take-up and let-out reel,

g. driving means associated with said second take-up and let-out reel,

h. a third take-up and let-out device that engages said belt at a point between its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion,

i. first locking means for selectively locking said third take-up and let-out device,

j. second locking means for selectively locking said first take-up and let-out reel, whereby:

l. in a first mode of operation said first reel is driven so that it takes up the belt and the second reel lets out the belt,

2. in a second mode of operation the belt is taken up by the second reel and let out by the first reel,

3. the course of the belt over the supporting and guiding means being such that in each of the first and second modes the belt is moving in the same direction over its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion.

4. said third take-up and let-out device being locked by said first locking means during said first and second modes,

5. in a third mode of operation locking said second locking means and unlocking said first locking means so that when said third take-up and let-out device is actuated the belt will be let out by the second reel and the resulting slack taken up by said third take-up and let-out device, and

6. in a fourth mode of operation said second reel is driven to take up the belt and the third takeup and let-out device lets out the belt slack that it has taken up during the second mode of operation.

2. a transfer device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the belt at the forward end of its patient supporting portion which is the end that leads under a patient extends in front of and is no higher than the level of the adjacent ground engaging portion of the belt.

3. A transfer device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the supporting and guiding means for the patient supporting portion of the belt cause the latter portion to form a gentle ramp leading down to its forward extremlty.

4. A transfer device as set forth in claim 1 wherein side frames between which the belt extends transversely are provided at their forward end with ploughs which extend below the adjacent ground engaging portion of belt.

5. A transfer device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the belt supporting and guiding means at the forward end of the transfer device form part of a nose portion which is hinged so that it can move upwardly and downwardly relatively to the remainder of the transfer device.

6. A transfer device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the belt supporting and guiding means include plate members extending behind the belt over its patient supporting and ground engaging portions and over whose surfaces the belt skids or slides. 

1. A patient transfer device comprising in combination a. an elongated belt which is wide enough to support a patient, b. a first take-up and let-out reel connected to one end of said belt, c. a second take-up and let-out reel connected to the other end of said belt, d. a plurality of supporting and guiding means, e. said belt being disposed around said plurality of supporting and guiding means in a back and forth manner so as to provide an upper patient supporting portion and a lower ground engaging portion, f. driving means associated with said first take-up and let-out reel, g. driving means associated with said second take-up and let-out reel, h. a third take-up and let-out device that engages said belt at a point between its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion, i. first locking means for selectively locking said third takeup and let-out device, j. second locking means for selectively locking said first takeup and let-out reel, whereby:
 1. in a first mode of operation said first reel is driven so that it takes up the belt and the second reel lets out the belt,
 2. in a second mode of operation the belt is taken up by the second reel and let out by the first reel,
 3. the course of the belt over the supporting and guiding means being such that in each of the first and second modes the belt is moving in the same direction over its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion,
 4. said third take-up and let-out device being locked by said first locking means during said first and second modes,
 5. in a third mode of operation locking said second locking means and unlocking said first locking means so that when said third take-up and let-out device is actuated the belt will be let out by the second reel and the resulting slack taken up by said third take-up and let-out device, and
 6. in a fourth mode of operation said second reel is driven to take up the belt and the third take-up and let-out device lets out the belt slack that it has taken up during the second mode of operation.
 2. in a second mode of operation the belt is taken up by the second reel and let out by the first reel,
 2. a transfer device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the belt at the forward end of its patient supporting portion which is the end that leads under a patient extends in front of and is no higher than the level of the adjacent ground engaging portion of the belt.
 3. A transfer device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the supporting and guiding means for the patient supporting portion of the belt cause the latter portion to form a gentle ramp leading down to its forward extremity.
 3. the course of the belt over the supporting and guiding means being such that in each of the first and second modes the belt is moving in the same direction over its upper patient supporting portion and its lower ground engaging portion,
 4. said third take-up and let-out device being locked by said first locking means during said first and second modes,
 4. A transfer device as set forth in claim 1 wherein side frames between which the belt extends transversely are provided at their forward end with ploughs which extend below the adjacent ground engaging portion of belt.
 5. A transfer device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the belt supporting and guiding means at the forward end of the transfer device form part of a nose portion which is hinged so that it can move upwardly and downwardly relatively to the remainder of the transfer device.
 5. in a third mode of operation locking said second locking means and unlocking said first locking means so that when said third take-up and let-out device is actuated the belt will be let out by the second reel and the resulting slack taken up by said third take-up and let-out device, and
 6. in a fourth mode of operation said second reel is driven to take up the belt and the third take-up and let-out device lets out the belt slack that it has taken up during the second mode of operation.
 6. A transfer device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the belt supporting and guiding means include plate members extending behind the belt over its patient supporting and ground engaging portions and over whose surfaces the belt skids or slides. 